For the first time in a while, Star Wars games are being made by developers outside of EA’s library of studios, and this could lead to more creativity from the franchise in the gaming industry. It could be an exciting time for games using the Star Wars IP, provided that Disney pick the right studios to spearhead these projects. With such an expansive IP, there are plenty of great games that could be made within the Star Wars universe and there are plenty of systems that could be the foundation of the perfect star-faring game.
One of these systems is the revolutionary Nemesis System, invented for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor back in 2014. It was developed by Monolith Productions and has been on tight lockdown since its inception by Warner Bros., stopping many other developers from using the system. This is a massive shame, since the system is such a great one for personalizing a game, and it doesn’t seem like Monolith and Warner Bros have done anything with it ever since Middle-earth: Shadow of War was released.
Why Shadow Of Mordor’s Nemesis System Is Legendary
And Why There Is A Petition To Bring It To Disney
The Nemesis System has become legendary in the gaming industry for its innovation and there is clear interest in bringing it to Star Wars, with Spades Rodriguez making a petition for Warner Bros. to release the system for Star Wars development on Change.org. The system revolves around villains having a hierarchy, and they go up and down this hierarchy depending on what happens to the player character. For instance, if a random enemy defeats the player character, they can become a captain and a bit of a rival for the player character.
The Nemesis System also allows enemies to make a comeback after their apparent death and makes them resistant, or even immune, to what killed them in the first place. These enemies come back vengeful and ready to take the fight to the player character, bearing injuries and scars from their last encounter. It should be noted that the Nemesis System makes enemies procedurally, meaning that every playthrough will present players with entirely different and unique villains to form rivalries with.
When the Nemesis System was first introduced, it took the world by storm, and the idea was such a good one that it felt like it would be a staple in the gaming industry going forward. Unfortunately, Warner Bros. has made sure that only developers under its umbrella can use it. It is even more unfortunate that Warner Bros. games have done very little with it after its introduction. Only Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War have used this system, and it has yet to venture out of the Middle-earth IP.
The Nemesis System Is Perfect For Star Wars Games
Players Can Have Rival Bounty Hunters
Although the system hasn’t seen use outside the two Middle-earth games following Talion’s exploits, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t versatile. It has already worked with a massive and historical IP, with that being Tolkien’s mythos, so it would work again for another like Star Wars. It also benefits from Star Wars’ vast library of potential villains, and the enemies used for the Nemesis System could range from Storm Troopers getting promotions to Bounty Hunters and even the Sith.
Although the enemies used for the Nemesis System would depend on what period of Star Wars is chosen for the game, a title similar to the classic Star Wars: Bounty Hunter would potentially be the best option. The Nemesis System could be adapted so that instead of it being based around the player being defeated, it could be based around rivals completing a bounty before them, avoiding the revival mechanic used for Shadow of Mordor. These successful rivals would then get more money to spend on gear and thus become more dangerous.
The procedural nature of the system and all the aliens in Star Wars would lead to some unique enemies that other players would likely never see. It also helps that Bounty Hunters come from all over, with Mandalorians getting involved alongside legends like Cad Bane, meaning that variety would never be an issue. As revealed in The Clone Wars, there is a Bounty Hunter ranking system in the galaxy of Star Wars, which could be used as the skeleton for the Nemesis system rather than the interconnected web used in the Middle-earth games.
Warner Bros. Probably Won’t Give The Nemesis System Up
Disney And Warner Bros. Have Been Rivals Before
The big problem stopping Disney, specifically, from getting the Nemesis System to use for Star Wars is how tightly Warner Bros. is holding onto the system without letting others use it. Disney has often found itself competing with Warner Bros. over the years, especially with Marvel often competing with DC in the superhero scene. With all this rivalry, it likely means that Warner Bros. doesn’t exactly want to give Disney a helping hand with its Star Wars games, especially since the general reception of them has been mixed.
Still, this doesn’t change how great the Nemesis System is and how adaptive it could be if others got a hold of it. The greatest part of it is how personal it can make single-player games, and the sheer variety of enemies, thanks to the procedural nature of the system, would make a potential Star Wars game infinitely replayable. It would make the game unique in today’s market too, since the last game to use the system was back in 2017 with Middle-earth: Shadow of War. The Nemesis System has to return at some point.
Ultimately, anyone, let alone Disney and Star Wars, getting a hold of the Nemesis System feels like a distant dream. It has been seven years since the gaming industry has seen a title use the system, and it doesn’t seem like there will be another game with it any time soon. Its potential will remain as that, for now, unless Warner Bros decide to make another game with it. Currently, it is all in Warner Bros.’ hands, unless Disney feels like delivering a massive stack of cash for it.